Statement by Congressman Robert L. Ehrlich, Jr. Regarding the Partial Settlement to ACLU Housing Lawsuit" press release, April 8, 1996

MEWS FROM Robert L. Ehrlich, Jr. Second Congressional District of Maryland 1 407 York Road, Suite 304 Lutherville, Maryland 21093 3 1 5 Cannon House Office Building Washington, D.C. 20515 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: CONTACT: Richard Cross April 8, 1996 202-225-3061 STATEMENT BY CONGRESSMAN ROBERT L. EHRLICH, JR. REGARDING THE PARTIAL SETTLEMENT TO ACLU HOUSING LAWSUIT “Today U. S. Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Henry Cisneros announced that his department, the City of Baltimore, and the ACLU have reached agreement on the terms of the proposed partial settlement to the Baltimore City-ACLU public housing lawsuit. “My reaction to today’s announcement is the same as when details of the proposed settlement first became public last October. The proposed settlement will use the Baltimore metropolitan region as the testing ground for an ill-fated experiment in social engineering. It will also have significant negative consequences on hard-working families throughout the Baltimore “In November 1994, the American people overwhelmingly rejected the kind of government interference represented by the proposed settlement. HUD and the city are now bypassing the legislative process, and are enacting substantial policy under the shield of an ACLU lawsuit. “The housing settlement is bad housing policy— plain and simple. It elevates race over economic status as a factor in determining where people may live and what entitlements they may receive. It perpetuates the myth that the federal government has the power, the resources, and the insight to right all social wrongs. At a time when I am working to devolve power away